The Brantford Bulldogs and North Bay Battalion are two teams in the Eastern Conference of the OHL who should be considered Memorial Cup contenders.
Memorial Cup Contender Series
This week, our series reviews two more teams who should be considered Memorial Cup contenders from the Eastern Conference of the Ontario Hockey League, the North Bay Battalion and the Brantford Bulldogs.
The Memorial Cup begins on Friday May 24th. Ahead of the tournament, we are previewing potential contenders from the OHL, WHL and QMJHL.
Have you missed any of the articles in the series? You'll find the links below.
North Bay Battalion (33-19-7-2): 3rd in Eastern Conference / 2nd in Division
With the likes of fellow 2022 NHL draft picks, Seattle Kraken third rounder (68th overall) Ty Nelson on the back end and Winnipeg Jets seventh rounder (207th overall) Domenic DiVincentiis in net, the North Bay Battalion knew they had the high-end talent to compete, yet again, in the Eastern Conference title race.
The charismatic Ty Nellie is a former first overall OHL Draft selection in 2020, and recently represented Team Canada at the 2024 World Junior Hockey Championship, posting three assists in five games played. The Toronto, Ontario native has a very high compete level and is best known for his non-stop motor and willingness to not only join, but often lead rushes on the attack. The heavy-hitting 5-foot-10 pivot has maintained a point-a-game pace for the entirety of his three-year OHL career, a consistency that is a rare feat for any position player, let alone a defenseman!
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Behind Nellie, is a highly regarded goaltender that was named a CHL 2nd Team All-Star and OHL Goaltender of the Year in his sophomore season in 2022-2023. DiVincentiis is a confident and laterally strong goaltender that has regressed some this season compared to his eye-popping 2.33 goals against average and .919 save percentage of 2022-2023 season. The Bolton, ON. native has struggled with injuries this season, but looks to regain his All-Star form down the stretch.
Offensively, the Battalion are led by NHL draft eligible dual-position forward Anthony Romani. The Pickering, ON. native has been ranked as high as 80th amongst North American draft eligible skaters and has been in the running for league scoring title all season with 47 goals and 48 assists for 95 points to date in 56 games played. That currently only trails the number 88 of the rival Sudbury Wolves, David Goyette.
North Bay has all the pieces in place to compete in a top-heavy league but will have to continue to solidify their defensive game. A middle of the pack ranking in both team goals-against and goaltending statistics will not be strong enough to hold off the formidable attacks (and powerplays) of top teams like the rival Wolves, Knights, Spirit, Greyhounds and Rangers.
Brantford Bulldogs (33-17-8-2): 1st in Eastern Conference / 1st in Division
The recently rehomed Bulldogs moved down Highway 403 this past summer and found a new place to call home at the historic Brantford and District Civic Centre. Much to the excitement of junior hockey fans in the city made famous by a couple of Gretzky's. Brantford has not iced an OHL team since the Alexanders in 1984, named after Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone and former local resident.
The Bulldogs, still recovering from an all-in run that saw them win the OHL Championship in 2022, have had a very good first season in Brantford. Amongst the highlights is a very strong home record that has seen the club collect points in 22 of 29 home games to date (19 wins).
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The core is led up front by 17-year-old 2024 NHL Draft eligible left-winger Marek Vanacker, who has been enjoying a sophomore breakout season with 31 goals and 40 assists for 71 points total. The Delhi, Ontario native is accompanied by rugged Montreal Canadiens prospect Florian Xhekaj. The younger brother of current Habs defenseman Arber Xhekaj has enjoyed a breakout season of his own after being taken in the fourth round of the 2023 NHL Draft this past summer in Music City by the Canadiens. The towering 6-foot-4, 190 pound Hamilton, ON. native has more than doubled his offensive output this season with 56 points (31 goals, 25 assists) in 57 games played to date.
The club has consistently been at or near the top of the Eastern conference this season with an exciting core that is still growing, but unfortunately due to a lack of draft capital from successful championship runs in 2018 and 2022, the front office decided to sell veteran core pieces such as offensive defenseman Jorian Donovan (Saginaw) and shutdown pivot Noah Van Vliet (Wolves) at the trade deadline to recoup assets.
The club as is has responded well to the trades and is in the midst of a 7-1-2 run in its last ten games. A commendable feat for a growing young core. Depth scoring and a very strong home record will make the Bulldogs a tough out come playoff time, but it will be very difficult to go past the true contenders in the East once the competition heats up in the 2nd and 3rd rounds of the upcoming OHL Playoffs without veteran pieces like Van Vliet and Donovan on the backend to consistently rely on.
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Additional Content from the Contender Series
